TV-Free Update and BAGELS

I’m SO happy that I nixed the tv for the first month of 2018!! I’m only a week in and I’m already sleeping better, accomplishing more, mentally engaged, and have been busy dreaming, wondering, doodling, and learning! I fought the urge to pick up the remote when I was tired or bored for the first few days, but that completely wore off by day four. I love digging into this frigid month instead of getting lost in a show and forgetting that January exists.

BAGELS! This was my win of the week — all caps necessary! I’ve wanted to try making bagels following a recent obsession with Bullfrog Bagels in Washington D.C. (probably good that I don’t live there for this very reason). I tried this recipe that Love and Olive Oil shares from Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day and did a little dance while eating my first ever homemade BAGEL! Side: I got a little excited with the poppy seeds — still sweeping up runaways.

Favorite moment. Playing silly word games with my husband and looking at the snow from our candle-lit apartment. The games went something like “name a country that starts with [insert letter]” and 20 questions — where one person thinks of something and the other has 20 yes/no questions to guess what it is. Soooo much laughing! I love dating my husband!

Cleaner space. With more time, I’m cleaning dishes and tidying before bed so my mornings are more pleasant. Enough said.

Learning. Books: working my way through a stack of books. Current favs are Steal Like an Artist and Art for God’s Sake. Podcasts: I’m relistening to The SlowHome Podcast by Brooke McAlary and her husband while working on projects. I head over there for tips and tricks about how to slow down and be more present and mindful. Hands-down my favorite simple-living “poggy.”

Technology use. Did you know that Steve Jobs didn’t let us kids use the iPad? According to Business Insider, he responded to a question about letting kids use the iPad with “… we don’t allow the iPad in the home. We think it’s too dangerous for them in effect.” He was aware of its addictive nature. Picking my jaw off the floor. I’m working on identifying when I switch into mindless internet roaming!

Movement. In this Slow Home episode, Katy Bowman reframes the idea of exercise to simply working in more movement throughout the day. I tried this in a tiny way by kneading bread dough by hand instead of using a bread maker. Arm workout complete! Worth a listen!

Better sleep. I’m paying way more attention to tired signs instead of pushing through one-more-episode. Also, Harvard says [playing that card] that “blue light is a potent suppressor of melatonin” and watching tv or use of electronics before bed can disrupt the body’s natural clock. Sheesh — don’t I know this is true? Checking the socials at 3 a.m. … good luck falling asleep again! I could stand to use a tip or two from neuroscientist and professor, Matthew Walker, who was recently aired on MPR, especially his little note about caffeine. Worth a listen too!

Side: Brace yourself, I’m going to be referring to a lot of Podcasts and interviews this month. … Double side: Did you know that this is what happens to the brain on podcasts and THIS is what happens to the brain on tv? Fascinating.

Thinking. Simple, I know. But why is it so difficult to roam around in my own head, question, wonder, and process when all I want to do is blob-out in front of the tv?? Not sure I know the answer yet — but I spent a lot of time in corpse pose when I was super tired this week and let my thoughts run amuck. … I realize that the point of this pose is to remove thoughts and clear the mind, but it also works great to relax AND do some mighty processing.

Coming up this week: A sledding date, walking to a coffee shop (because its warmer than ZERO degrees, hallelujah!), tortilla making, more thinking, more corpse pose, more reading/listening, and generally filling my headspace.

THANKS! I wish that they could have had a little more of a crust, but they were better than store-bought! Gives me some room to experiment with the recipe and figure out the science. Would also like to try freezing the dough before proofing… more experimenting, for sure!

What a great idea; I’m so glad I found this blog post. My teenage son just voluntarily gave up his smartphone to restrict his access to the internet… perhaps there’s hope for the next generation after all! G

That’s such an impressive decision and great example!! I started charging my phone on the other side of the room at night so I wouldn’t be tempted to mindlessly surf at night. Outta sight, outta mind! Bravo!

I love the 20 questions game! My husband and I play it on long car rides, but we actually adapted it to be 20 questions involving a time or memory of our relationship. That version actually has led to some pretty eye opening moments about what has been the most important things I have done for him in the past.

I think its amazing that you are TV free and loving it! I love that its giving you tons of more enjoyable productive time. I always want to “make” something but that fun free time is hard to come by! Best wishes! I am enjoying following along!

You are inspiring to do the same! I love the idea of minimalism. I feel that we have come too far as a society for wanting everything in sight and it is still not making us happy. LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!